The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1887-11-15
ON TILE pApIpAs.
Features OF Life In The Argsntine
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the cost OF livalls as high as iii tie
United States and not half as good.
In the sscamps" poems engaged in herd
ing are paid from 50 to $12 per month
and supplied with meat and matte.
Should they wish to vary this diet it
must be done at their own expense.
Few care to do SO. Matte is u peculiar
herb grown iii Paraguay, and is tile
national beverage Of the county. Ills
dried, powdered and stepped in hot
water and used as II tea.f 1t possesses
considerable stimulating powers, and
enormous quantities are consumed. AL
classes use it. A gourd is followed
and filled with matte, tube to suck
through inserted and the contents alb
sorbed. 1t is considered serious
breach Of etiquette to refuse tho matte
cup when it is passed around. The,
same tube passes from mouth to mouthp
Skilled labor does not command high
wages. Locomotive drivers receive
I from sos to $75 q month; guards or
conductors, $45; good mechanics aver
i age $3.50 q day. When tho value. OF
Argentine money is rccloned, these arc
low wages. "A constant speculation III
gold is Carried on, and the value OF
national money constantly huctuates.
Certain professions are well paid.
Dentists, photographers, civil engineers
and school teachers find occupation and
make money. a laDoring man enter
into competition with tho hungry hor(les
Of the Old World. and must accustom
himself to strict economy and hard liv-
ing to get along. The Italians employ
ed on the streets CT in the public works
arc paid S1.25 a day. This is tho rate
tor ordinary labor. Stevedores and
men around the docks not steadily en-
ployed, $1.50 and board; clerks, from
$50 to SIT per month. Acknowledge Of
Spanish is absolutely required Of the
latter.
The country maintains standing
army Of $4,000 men and has good
navy, comprising several powerful arm
orcd ships. Military distinction is
eagerly sought and the sons Of rich
families enter the service. 1t is not Ml-
usual to see boys Of ID and Is years
wearing officers uniforms. English,
Germans and French are found among
tho officers. The total population Of
the country is estimated at 10000, 900.
House rent is excessively high and
city property held ut eXorbltant figures.
The same may be said Of outlying lands.
Compared with prices few years ago,
their valuation is excessive, and crash
is inevitable. Camp lands for grazing
purposes in remote districts sell from
$4,000 to $4,000 per square league.
The country is generally ievel from the
coast-linc back 10 tho Andes. Tho
average rise in altitude is four inches to
the mile. This is the region Of pam
pas, vast trceless lains, covered with
grasses and comprising rich soils.
Twenty-two foreign steamship lines
touch at Buenos Ayres, and thousands
OF Immigrants are landed yearly. Fast
the Uruguay, Parany and Platte rivers.
At Sanle Fc met two English gen
tlemen who wished to make tile trip.
Securing horses and u guide, q start
was made the second morning, and in q
few hours we were away from cyillza7.
ton, and crossing the vast plains.
| can lillen the pampas to nothing
except a smooth ocean; their vastness,
monotony and utter loneliness is op-
pressive, and the traveller gazes yearl-
ingly for somo object to rest the eye.
Overhead q blue, cloudless sky shono,
the air was intensely hot, and the only
noise made was that of the horses amid
thetall grass. ~.
Two or three times during the day
isolated mud huts were sighted, and ut
one OF these we procured water and
camped for the night, These are head
quarters for the cattle-herders-wi
looking ganchos of mixed blood and
truculent yisago. These dWellers Of
the pampas are almost constantly in the
saddle. They wear the universal
poncho--a square,, colored blanket, slit
in the middle to admit tho head-and
armed with lassocs and long knives.
An ignorant, wild, savage race, with
no great love for foreigners, they still
retain considerable respect for tho
"Gringo" six-shootcr and rarely moest
travellers unless excited by drink.
The second day an early start was
made, bands Of ostriches were sighted,
but at such a distance Il shot could not
De obtained. The South American
bird is not SO largo as his African
cousin, but good sleZed, and possesses
tremendous powers Of locomotion.
They move with the rapidity OF express
trains when frightened, their long legs
making enormous strides, with curl,
ous side motion. Wo saw many iguanas
great lizards some Of them four feet
In length, and many armadilos, both
esteemed delicious eating by the ma
tives.
Occasionally during our trip small
Isolated groves were passed. The trees
are small, and can sometimes be seen
twenty miles away inverted in the air,
the heat and rariiied atmosphere caus-
ing mirages
Scorpions and centipedes abound, but
are not particularly troublesome.
Poisonous reptiles are few, but mosqui-
toes and black gnats make up in discom-
fort what the traveller misses in this re-
spect.
Tho fifth day after leaving Santa Fe
we saw from our camp the sun setting
behind the Cordoba Sierras, q broken,
isolated mountain chain some hundreds
Of miles in length, and with attitudes
ranging from 900 to 5000 feet. These
mountains, magni(led in an exquisitely
clear atmosphere, loom grandly in the
west. Several streams rising in the
range flow eastward, and sink during
dry weather in the heated plains.
Signs That Catch the Irish Eye.
Talking Of signs, there's funny one
on the Island. III front Of q saloon is a
pictured representation Of n big blue